


Before the team

by heloflor02



Series: From strangers to family [1]
Category: Mystery Skulls Animated
Genre: 'rich people are jerks' cliché, Child Abuse, Fluff, cute baby being cute, just some random headcanons to prime my future fics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-10-14 04:01:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17501153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heloflor02/pseuds/heloflor02
Summary: Just a collection of ideas about what each of their past looked like and how they ended up united.





	1. Vivi, a special child

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here comes my first MSA fic ! Just like for my “main” UT fic (god does this story needs to be continued >_<), I intend to make a long story going into the different kind of events the group may end up living (including some pre-cave, post-hellbent and also shipping. Lots of shipping) along with some childhood pieces before it so stay around if you're interested !  
> Random note : Apparently Grandma Yukino is supposed to live with the couple (according to the wikifan) but, for plot convenience, I decided to remove that detail (sorry for those who are picky on this kind of stuff...).

“Thank you so much for accepting to take care of her, especially with you being only there for vacations.”, Mrs.Yukino, usually always full of energy, looked like she would pass out any minute.

 

“It is no trouble.”, her mother-in-law answered, looking at the small blue-haired child crawling towards them.

 

“Are you sure you can handle this ?”, M.Yukino asked.

 

“Well, I handled you; surely I will be fine.”, she affirmed with a smirk, getting a chuckle from her daughter-in-law and an eyeroll from her son.

 

“Alright !”, the young mother clapped her hands together. “We should go now. We'll be back in about three hours.”

 

“Don't hesitate to call us if something goes wrong.”, M.Yukino insisted.

 

“Of course.”, the old lady rolled her eyes. “Now go and have a great time !”, she waved as the couple left the room.

 

Once they were gone, she turned to the child, still crawling around. The little girl was only seven months but she was already showing to be smart and agile. The new grandma smiled before turning her attention to one of her bags.

 

“You can come out now.”, she called.

 

The bag wiggled until a small white-and-red head came out of it. The dog barked, getting out to join his owner. He followed with curiosity the lady's gaze, which was back on the small blue figure.

 

“I present you Vivianne, the newest member of the Yukino clan.”

 

The animal just watched the infant with a surprised look, making the old lady laugh. “She sure does look familiar to you, does she not ?”, the animal snorted as an answer but still slowly approached the tiny figure. The bluenette looked at him curiously before smiling and the dog let out a yelp of surprise as the girl suddenly hugged him. He tried to protest but had to accept his fate against the child's surprising strength. Her grandma let out a giggle but quickly went more serious as she approached the duo.

 

“My dear kitsune;”, she started. “for years now, you have remained a loyal member of the Yukino clan, and like every century, it will soon be time for you to find a new owner, who will give you love, residence and affection for as long as they live. In some years, once Vivianne will be older, I will tell her to come to our home in Japan, where you will fake being a wounded animal in need of a place to stay. May her heart be in the right place and you will be bounded to her. So, my dear friend;”, she put a hand on the disguised creature's head. “do you accept to stay by her side for as long as she will need, to remain loyal to her to the point of risking your own life to her, to defend those she cares about and to always bring warm to her days ?”

 

The kitsune looked lost in thoughts for a minute, before barking with a smile and licking the infant's face, who happily laughed. Her grandma smiled warmly and watched as her pet stood away from the child to turn into his true form. The toddler looked at him with stars in her eyes.

 

“Hello.”, the kitsune said, his face close to the bluenette who started petting him happily, still looking amazed.

 

The beast stayed with the girl for a long moment, entertaining her. However, time passed and way too soon his owner called him back to hide.

 

“Well, looks like it is time to go.”, he said, smiling at the girl. “You will not be able to remember me, but in a few years, we will be together again.”, he gently licked her face and started to transform back into a dog.

 

“See you soon, Vivianne.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you know, when I say Vivi won't remember him, it's not because of some kind of spell but simply the fact that she's less than a year old (so won't remember her “babyhood”)  
> Also “to defend those she cares about” : here comes the beginning of my list of stuff that characters say and that look perfectly innocent until you think of what happens in MSA; aka my “I am a horrible person who likes angst way too much” list.


	2. Lewis, a lost child

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here comes the second fic about a part of the team's childhood !  
> Note : I can't spanish so I apologize if some spanish words are weird.

The child was slowly making his way down the street, trying not to think of the rumbles of his stomac. About a hour earlier, he woke up with no idea of who he was or where he came from; but most importantly, he was alone and injured. He wanted to talk to other people but felt intimidated and, in his current state, wary of others. So here he was, walking alone, in search of anything that would either give his memory back or give him shelter for the next few days.

After a while, he came across what looked like a restaurant with windows decorated with spices. _Maybe they will let me eat something in exchange of some help._ , he hoped as he stepped into the place, his worries towards strangers smothered by his hunger. The room was empty aside from a man cleaning the tables.

 

“I'm sorry but we're closed for the ni-”, the man stopped at the view of the injured child. “Who...are you lost ?”

 

“Um...”, the child looked down.

 

“Where are your parents ?”, the adult crouched down, putting his hands on the child's shoulders.

 

“I...I don't know...”, he mumbled.

 

“Then...what's your last name ? Surely we can find a phone number ?”

 

The boy looked down again, silent, trying to remember anything to tell. The man just stayed, patiently waiting for the small boy to find his words.

 

“I...I can't remember. I can't remember anything.”, he finally said, feeling foolish. He expected the man to get mad and shout him to leave, but instead, he was met with a confused look.

 

“What do you mean ? Did something hap-”

 

“Terroncito, is something wrong ?”

 

The boy turned towards the voice and immediately felt intimidated at the sight of the lady entering the room.

 

“This child just came in, saying he doesn't remember anything about himself.”

 

“Hmm”, the woman approached, crouching down next to her husband. “You know niño, if something happened with your family, there's no need to be afraid. Just tell us your name and we'll figure out a way to help you.”

 

“I...”, the child tried to keep eye-contact with the couple but couldn't bring himself to, feeling ridiculous. “...I”, he concentrated on the ground, trying to get words out. “I...I can't remember anything, I-I really can't !...I'm sorry...”

 

The two adults remained silent for a moment and the boy could easily guess that they shared a look.

 

“Well;”, the lady finally said. “memories or not, it's getting late. You can stay with us tonight; and tomorrow, we'll see what we can do.”

 

The child's eyes lighted up “Thank you so much.”, he murmured.

 

The woman simply nodded, stading up to go back to another room. The man stood up as well and extended a hand to the child.

 

“I suppose you're hungry ?”, he asked

 

The boy nodded, taking his hand and following.

During his meal, the child learned more about the couple. They were the Peppers, owners of Pepper Paradisio, a restaurant specialized into sweet and spicy food and whose establishment was also their house, upstairs.

During that time, they also tried to get more informations about him but with no success.

By the end of his dinner, the Peppers brought the boy to a guest room and the child happily let himself fall on the bed. As he closed his eyes, he tried to think more of his past, but all his thoughts were on the couple.  _It would be nice to stay with them, or at least do something to repay them. Maybe...maybe if we find my home, I could still come back to say hello..._

 

 

 

 

The next day, the Peppers started to busy themselves into finding the child's parents. They went to the townshall and were able to find a citizen file with a picture ressembling the child, who they discovered was named Lewis and was only seven, but were unable to find his parents, despite what informations they would be given. The search wasn't helped either by the fact that his parents were two immigrants who recently arrived, justificating the boy's skin color but more importantly limitating the amount of people who knew about them. It also made the Peppers wonder how Lewis was able to speak english but were told stories of people learning a new language on the spot after an accident occurred to them, making the couple assume that whatever happened to Lewis to give him amnesia must also be responsible for his language abilities.

Meanwhile, Lewis proposed to help at the restaurant in any way he could, though he was mostly assigned into washing duty due to his age and lack of experience. But the child never complained. After all, he was happy to help the family and they even started to teach him how to cook.

 

 

 

 

After a week of research, it became obvious that the parents will never be found.

 

“This is hopeless.”, Mr.Pepper said one evening, falling into a chair.

 

“I know, but we can't just leave the niño like that.”, Mrs.Pepper answered.

 

“Should we put him in an orphanage ?”, the husband asked with no conviction. During the week, they started to truly feel affection for the boy. So, confronted with such a question, they shared a look, knowing what they had to do.

 

 

 

 

“Lewis, niño ?”

 

“Yes ?”, the child quickly came into the room.

 

“We need to tell you something.”, the woman continued, getting on the child's eye-level. “You see, after a week of research, we have to admit that...we're not able to find your parents.”, she put a hand on his shoulder as she finished while Lewis looked down. Truth be told, he expected this; and he wasn't afraid of it. He had no memory after all and thus felt no particular affection at the thought of his real parents, although such thoughts saddened him. But despite it, he still feared that moment because he knew that, now that they were done helping him, the Peppers had no reason to keep him around.

 

“However.”, Mrs.Pepper suddenly continued. “That doesn't mean we have to change the way we lived this week.”

 

“Uh ?”, Lewis quickly raised his head in surprise.

 

“What she means;”, Mr.Pepper continued with a smile. “Is that we wish to adopt you, make you our son.”

 

“R-really ?!”, both answered with a nod.

 

“So, what do you say mi niño ?”

 

“I...”, tears started to fall from his eyes. “I'd love to !”, he jumped into the woman's arms, hugging tightly. Her husband quickly joined too. Once they pulled back, Mr.Pepper ruffled his now-future-son's hair.

 

“Then it's settled.”, he said. “Welcome to the family, Lewis Pepper.”

 


	3. Arthur, a scarred child

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here comes the Arthur one, the longest one ! And after two stories of warm and fluff, what could possibly go wrong ?...yeah I'm a horrible person.  
> So, as a “character's childhood” fic, I obviously had to add his parents and, truth be told, I actually took a part of several different headcanons and added them together (abusive parents, rich parents, possibly royal blood, death parents with here only one dead; and yes I say it here 'cause it's actually barely implied here), although I also created a headcanon that is rather...messed up. So expect some dark implications in there.   
> Also warning for language and mentions of abuse.

The blonde was struggling against his father's grip, screaming for him to let go; but the adult didn't react and brought his son to the usual “timeout” room, locking him in.

 

“It's not fair !”, the child complained while banging on the door.

 

“Arthur;”, his father answered from the other side. “you're a Kingsmen. You have to live up to your name; your full name.”

 

Arthur only grumbled as an answer as he heard footsteps from his father getting quieter. _I'd rather be called by the name of the worst knight of the table. Or the name of a jester ! Everything except 'Arthur Kingsmen the fourth'._ , he mentally complained.

Sighing, he turned towards the room. It was pretty small and empty with no windows and only a few big boxes with also some shelves with folders that the child never had the curiosity to read. He turned towards a box and moved it. Behind was a wall of lines, each one representing a new day during which his father badly considered something he did and felt the need to punish him to make him think about how to behave. But to him, these lines also echoed with the marks his father made on his arms, the punishment for not being the perfect son, for not acting like someone named after the most important figure of the family, the one whose blood is said to run into the Kingsmen family.

 

“It's not fair.”, the child mumbled, tracing a new line on the wall. It didn't matter to him that he was a rich heir, that he could have all the wealth and recognition he wanted. He hated it. He hated this life. The way he was beaten up. The way he felt like an object, like the link of a chain, with his life already written by the one he calls his father.

 

“ **Not fair.** ”, a voice repeated, making the child jump.

 

“W-who's there ?!”, he tried to sound menacing but his posture betrayed him. Suddenly, a dozen of floating figures appeared in the room. They looked like skeleton ghosts, all wearing at least one black piece of clothing, bearing a yellow aura and at their chest was resting a yellow heart. Part of them disappeared while the remaining ones had sparkles appearing around their skulls, which turned into more human faces. Most of them were men, with also some women; and they all seemed under fourty, especially a small one that looked like a little girl.

 

Arthur stared at the group with both fear and amazement. “Who-who are you ?”

 

The ghosts started floating around, not looking at the child.

 

“ **...family.** ”, they all said at once.

 

“You...you are Kingsmen ?...What are you doing here ?”

 

“ **abandonned** ”

“ **forgotten** ”

“ **trapped** ”

 

“...What ?”, the blonde looked at the ghosts in confusion.

 

“ **promised** ”

“ **wealthy** ”

“ **destined** ”

“ **...tortured** ”

“ **forced** ”

“ **trapped** ”

“ **like** **you** ”

“ **anger** ”

“ **escape** ”

“ **new** **life** ”

“ **...destroyed** ”

“ **scammed** ”

“ **no** **future** ”

“ **pleading** ”

“ **begging** ”

“ **coming** **back** ”

“ **...NO** **COMING** **BACK** ”

“ **destroyed** ”

“ **erased** ”

“ **forgotten** ”

“ **forever** **trapped** ”

 

“ **...THEIR** **FAULT** ”

 

The kept repeating these last two words over and over as they started to be more agitated.

 

“Alright, alright ! I get it !”, Arthur screamed, shivering, his hands on his ears. The spirits calmed down one by one until the room fell quiet again. “So...”, the child tried to register their words. “What you are saying...is that you tried to get away...but it went wrong and that was dangerous ? And you couldn't come back ? So does that mean that if I ever try to...leave”, the idea sounded like paradise to him.”...i will be a ghost trapped here ?”

 

“ **one** **made** **it** ”

“ **one** **succeeded** ”

“ **one** **survived** ”

 

One of the spirits went to a shelf and made a sign for the child to approach. One the front was a slab that read [HERE LIE THE NAMES OF THE TRAITORS, THOSE WHO DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR BLOOD WOULD LEAD THEM TO, WHAT THEIR LIFE COULD HAVE BEEN. MAY THEY LIVE IN PAIN AND DESPAIR AND MAY THEY REMEMBER THE PUNISHMENT THEY WILL HAVE IF THEY DARE COMING BACK]

Arthur gulped, trying not to think too much about what it meant while the spirit took a folder and gave it to him. It presented a member of the family, whose birth date was rather recent.

 

“Lancelot Kingsmen ?”, the blonde never heard of that relative, though he could now easily guess why.

 

There were no date of death nor picture; and it was highlighted the reason as to why he was dishonored, along with the job he was last seen having. There was also a section about ways to kill him that the young boy quickly ignored, feeling uneasy by how many mentions of death he had in the five minutes he was into this room. Finally, he looked up the family links of the man.

 

“He is father's...brother ? I have an uncle ?”

 

The spirit next to him nodded, putting the folder back.

 

“So...you think he will help me ?”

 

The spirit nodded again as other approached, looking more comfortable around the child.

 

“ **He is a friend.** ”

“ **He will help you.** ”

“ **He will protect you.** ”

 

“But...how am I supposed to tell him I exist ?”

 

“ **Run away.** ”

“ **There is a secret exit.** ”

“ **Be careful.** ”

“ **You won't be able to come back.** ”

 

The child stayed silent for a moment, considering these last words. It was obvious that there would be no turning back, this family definitely not dealing well with fugitives; and he wasn't even sure if this uncle would accept him. But at the same time, he didn't want to stay here any longer, not caring anymore about what his father wanted from him. All he wanted was freedom.

After a while, he shook his head and turned back towards the files.

 

“Alright, let's see where I can find this uncle.”

 

 

 

 

Dark clouds were covering the night sky as the child crossed the garden, following the ghosts' indications. Once in front of the main gate, he took a deep breath. _This is it. One more step and no turning back._ Doubt crossed his mind but he quickly brushed it off. _No matter what happens next, it will always be better than staying there._ As he took his first step out of the property, he felt a wave of freedom envelopping him. _This is it. I'm out..._ He let out a scream of joy and started running, away from this life and into another, without a single look back.

It has been around three hours of walking when the child started to feel exhausted. Even with indications written down about the town to go to, he had a hard time navigating around, and the rain that started to fall after an hour of travel wasn't helping either. More than once, he let out a loud sigh. The Kingsmen manor was far away from any town and, once he finally found the right one, he discovered from a stranger that there was indeed a man named Kingsmen around, working as a mechanic; but his workshop was on the outskirts of the town, on the other side of where the child was coming from.

Finally, after what felt like eternity, the child found himself in front of a garage decorated with a familiar crown. He started to hesitate, his sleepy mind trying to come up with something to say once in front of the man; but the rain quickly made him decide to just see how it goes. He started to knock but noticed that the door wasn't closed and went in.

 

“Hello ?”, he hesitantly called, before calling a second time, higher.

 

After a moment of making noises, he heard a grumble from a room in the back, followed by footsteps. Suddenly, the lights went on and a short man appeared. Arthur was surprised by the look of the man; but a simple look at his hair confirmed him that they were related, it being the same with the only difference being that the man had spiky hair compared to the child who was told to keep his down.

 

“Don't ya people fucking know how ta read ?!”, the boy shivered at the harsh tone. “It's closed ! Get ou-”, the man froze at the view of the single child. For a moment, everything was silent as the man inspected the child from afar, mostly looking at his hair and fancy pajama. “The hell you are ?”, he finally asked.

 

“Um...a-are you Lancelot Kingsmen ?”, the child timidly asked.

 

The man chuckled. “Sure's been a while since I've last been called like that but yeah, I sure are.”, he got closer to the blonde, eyes still focused on his hair. “Say, you're a relative, aren't ya ?”

 

Arthur nodded, starting to feel a bit more comfortable. “I'm Hector's son.”

 

“Ma brother got a child, huh ?”, the man put a hand on the boy's hair for a second before pulling back and shaking it, making rain drops fall. “And what were ya doing under such weather ?”

 

“I...ran away from home...”, the blonde looked down. _He's going to send me back, won't he..._

 

The man stayed silent for a moment before putting a hand on the child's shoulder.

 

“Kid ?”

 

“Mm ?”

 

“...Show me your arms.”

 

“What ?!”, Arthur felt a rush of panic. Despite being the reason behind it, his father hated to see his cuts, making the child ashamed of them.

 

“Come on kid, I'm not here ta judge. A just wanna see how...bad it is.”

 

The blonde stayed silent for a minute before finally pulling his sleeves away. Gently, his uncle took one of his hands and extended the arm, slowly shaking his head at the view of dozen of marks.

 

“Yar father did that ta you ?”, the child nodded as an answer. The uncle stayed another minute looking at the scars before finally letting go, after which the child quickly put his sleeve back. “So, what did they call ya ?”

 

“...Arthur...”

 

This made the man facepalm. “Holy shit.”, he murmured. “Hector, what the hell are ya doing ?”

 

Arthur just stayed silent, still wondering what will happen of him. After a time, the man let out a laugh of pity.

 

“Heh, and here I thought being called after Lancelot was hell...Say, how'd ya find me ?”

 

“Well I...I found a file about you in-in the timeout room.”

 

“Ya mean the one with the ghosts ?”

 

“You know about them ?!”

 

The uncle chuckled. “Everyone in ta manor knows about them. B'sides, they were my only actual friends back then !”

 

_Why has no one told me about them before ?_ , the child wondered.

 

“But...weren't they a bit weird ? I mean, when they talk ?”, he asked, getting a bit curious.

 

“Nah, that just mean they're being shy ! They don't bite, ya know.”

 

Arthur started to decompress. Though, now that his stress was almost gone, he started to get reminded that he just ran under the rain at night and started to shake.

 

“Something's wrong ?”

 

“It's c-c-cold...”

 

“Oh. Right.”, the man went out of the room and quickly came back with a small towel that he handed to his nephew. “M'afraid it's all I have here.”

 

“It's o-okay.”, the blonde answered, drying his hair.

 

The two fell into silence, the uncle looking pensive as his nephew was trying to get warmer.

 

“So;”, the uncle started again. “I guess ya have no intention to go back ta the manor ?”

 

Arthur froze. “...No...not really. I just...I don't want to live the way they want me to ! And...when the ghosts said I could leave, that you would help me...”, he got more and more quiet as he went on, looking down.

 

His uncle let out a laugh. “These dea-heads sure got hopeful after only one success, huh ?”, Arthur started to feel ridiculous. “Tho, they're right.”

 

“Uh ?!”

 

The man put a hand on his nephew's shoulder. “Look kid, I've been there. Our family is terrible and it kills me ta think that ma own brother follows the family's ideal. So if ya wanna get away from it, I won't let ya down !”

 

“I...”, the blonde's eyes lit up. “Thank you so much !”, he exclaimed, suddenly hugging his uncle.

 

“Heh, yeah yeah, ya'r welcome kid.”, he awkwardly patted his nephew's back.

 

“Oh.”, the boy quickly pulled away. “S-sorry...heh.”

 

“It's okay kid. Just don't make an habit out of it.”, the man joked, ruffling Arthur's hair. “Now let's get ya home !”

 

“Alright !”

 

 

 

 

What Arthur expected to be a ride was actually a walk home, the house being at the outskirts of a small forest not so far from the shop. Fortunately, his uncle had an old umbrella at the shop that he gave to the child.

 

“So...”, Arthur started, trying to think of anything to say to break the silence that started to get awkward. “...about the ghosts...”

 

“Yeah ?”

 

“Well...where do they come from ? And why are they trapped ?...And why do they all have yellow hearts ? Why do they even need hearts ?”

 

Lance chuckled at that last comment. “Dunno 'bout that one. As for the rest...let's just say they were people who didn't want ta stay and left the family but their relatives...didn't really like that departure.”

 

“So...they are ghosts because of the family code ?”

 

The uncle nodded. “That's why they have yellow hearts. From what they said at least.”

 

“But...what happened to them ?”, although he could easily guess from what he learned, Arthur still wanted to hear it to be sure, given how dark his mind was making it.

 

“...”, Lance stayed silent for a moment before sighing. “I'm afraid it's not the kind of stuff a kid should hear.”

 

“But...it's just...if they are ghosts because they left then...what about us ?”

 

“...Don't ya worry kid. I mean, sure, ma brother's going ta make a scene out of it, but if I managed to make it through once, I can do it twice.”

 

“...Alright.”, the child answered, trying to sound more confident.

 

 

 

 

Lance was resting against the wall of his living room, looking at his now-showered nephew walking down the stairs, old clothes on as a temporary pajama. The child climbed on the sofa and wrapped himself into the blanket on it under the worried glances of his uncle. _Am I really fit to raise a child ?_ , he wondered. _He's only eight, still rather young, but..._ , he let out a sigh. _I can't turn my back on him just because he made the same choice as I did but younger. And Hector will definitely try to get him back if he find shelter in another home. 'sides, no way I'm leaving him into an orphanage._

 

“Hey.”, Lance started.

 

“Mm ?”

 

“Ya definitely didn't bring any bags or clothes, did ya ?”

 

“Uhhh...”, the child looked away in embarrassment. “I guess I was so caught up in the moment I...forgot.”

 

The uncle grumbled. “It's okay. Gotta buy new stuff anyways if ya stay.”, he said, looking at the couch. “Anyways. It's getting late.”

 

“Yeah. Goodnight mister...um.”

 

“Lance. Call me Lance. Or uncle Lance A guess.”, he shrugged.

 

“Alright. Goodnight Uncle Lance !”

 

“...'night kid.”

 

Lance eyed his nephew one last time before leaving the room. _Yeah, there's no way I'm letting Hector ruin this kid's life._

 

 

 

 

The next day, after a short trip to buy at least one piece of clothing, Lance brought Arthur to his workshop, showing him more of what life outside the manor would be to let him do his own choice based on more than belief. The child spent the entire day looking around, asking hundred of questions about everything and trying to help with little tasks. It was clear that this child was good with his hands and would definitely like this life more than his previous one, making his uncle even more determined into making sure his nephew could remain with him.

When the evening came and the Kingsmen went home, Arthur, as expected, didn't want to go back to the manor.

After the blonde went to rest, Lance went to his room and picked an old paper from a drawer, paper with a number that he hasn't called for at least a decade. As he dialed the number, he started to feel apprehensive. After all, Hector and him had always been close despite their different views of their futures; and the last thing Lance wanted was to hear his brother talking like he owned the world.

 

“Hello ?”, the younger brother sounded frustrated and in a hurry and Lance could easily guess why.

 

“Hector; s'been a while since I last heard ya.”

 

“Wait...Lancelot ?! Is that you ?”

 

“Yep.”, Lance couldn't help but let out a chuckle. _Still old stupid Hector._ Though, he still knew why he was calling, and the thought of his nephew's arms reminded him that things weren't as easy.

 

“I didn't know you still had-”, silence fell on the other side of the line, Lance picturing his brother shaking himself back into reality. “Look, I'm very happy to hear about you again but I'm rather busy so-”

 

“Your kid's missing ?”, the older brother asked. _Better get to the point._

 

“...How do you know I have a son ?”

 

“ 'cause he's currently in my house ?”

 

“Ho-...did you kidnap him ?!”, his tone suddenly became way more aggressive.

 

“Nah, the kid came by himself. Because ya apparently tortured him ?”, it was Lance's turn to be aggressive.

 

“Please ! I merely apply the family code !”

 

“Merely ?! Have ya seen ya kid's **arms** ?!”

 

“Arthur is meant to be perfect; and if he needs some...encouragement, so be it !”, Hector was talking with the prideful tone that Lance hated so much. _He really became one of them..._

 

“Ya have no idea what y'are doing ta this kid. Hell, ya have no idea what it's like ta be put under the pression ta have no flaws, ta be punished for the slightlest mistake, all because of a stupid name !”

 

“And **you** have no idea what it's like to live as the shadow of your own brother, to be only a burden with no qualities whatsoever in the eyes of your parents until your own **blood** double-cross you and abandon you with discontented parents ! Once I had the opportunity to shine, I had to work **so hard** to prove myself; and even so I **know** mother and father still think of the missed opportunity that **you** were ! I did a favor to my son by giving him the highest name possible ! And I'm doing him a favor by being so hard on him !”

 

“...”, Lance let out a long sigh. He could hear how upset his brother was, Hector being quite emotional and jumpy and sometimes having a hard time keeping his composure. And honestly, it hurt the older brother to hear that, even two decades later, Hector still felt like he wasn't enough, to the point where he had to make sure his son was seen as a success. But as bad as Lance could feel, the situation was no excuse to let it go on a simple child. “...Look, all ya are doing is scarring a child into yar ideas of perfection. Trust me, I've been there.”

 

“...No. You were a teen when you abandonned us. Arthur is only a child. He's too young to understand.”

 

The older brother chuckled. “On the contrary, yar kid was clever enough ta understand earlier.”

 

“...Are you saying you will take my own son away from me ?”

 

“That's the kid decision ta take. If he wants ta go back, I'll bring him. But so far, he's tired of what ya did ta him...and if he wishes ta stay with me, I'll **fight** for his freedom.”

 

“You're not serious.”

 

“As I said, I've been where he is”, Lance shrugged despite his brother not being able to see him.

 

“...Lance.”, Hector's tone was cold. “Tomorrow morning, you're going to bring me back my son. I'll make an exception on that 'no dishonored members alive on our territory' rule. But if you don't bring him, expect some terrible juridicial issues.”

 

“...Then I hope ya have a good way ta explain his wrists.”, the older man coldly answered.

 

“Wha-”, before the younger brother could reply, Lance hung up with a feeling of irritation and worry. _Sounds like next week is going to be hell..._

 

 

 

 

The next day, as expected, Hector found his way into the garage to try getting his son back, before giving up against Lance's stubbornness and bringing the issue to court. However, it was undeniable that the child was unhappy and even abused at the manor and, after weeks of debates and despite how much money Hector could give to try turning things in his favor, Lance finally got the right to keep and raise his nephew. Though, the older man didn't celebrate as his brother kept coming at his place to argue, until he understood how useless it was and gave up, begrudgingly adding his son to the list of dishonored members.

As Lance was watching his brother leave the workshop for the last time, he could feel all the new rage and hatred he accumulated towards him, along with the regret to see how much his brother changed and how their relationship turned out. But, a single look at his nephew, at the relief and joy in his face, made him see that he did the right choice.

 

 

 

 

_ It's over, I'm free. _ These thoughts kept rolling over and over into Arthur's mind as he was looking at the window of his now-room. He now looked like a normal child with his simple clothes and spiky hair, though he insisted to wear long sleeves until his marks would go away. He knew they would eventually. After all, if his uncle already got mad at him, never had he been violent.  _ Tomorrow, I'll be in a new school, meet new people, start a new life... _ A smile slowly made his way across his face.  _ Finally I will live for myself. Finally I will have a choice. Finally...I will be happy. _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To name the father, I tried to look throught the knights of the Round table; with the headcanon that every member of the family is named after one or their wives (with the exception of those who get married to a member and so weren't born in it), which is also why Arthur is named “the third”, because other members before him were named that way (also naming a child after an important figure means that the parents have more expectations and will be more severe). Also, for the father, I didn't look long so they may have been better names but I decided to name it after Hector de Maris since, according to wikipedia :  
> \- he's a younger brother of Lancelot and his half-brother (which in this fic adds more to his father not noticing him)  
> \- he failed at some tournaments and the Quest du Saint Graal  
> \- he apparently murdered a man in order to be with his wife (which is fucked up, like the murders here)  
> \- there's another knight called Sir Ector and who is the foster father of King Arthur  
> \- apparently he sided with Lancelot for some romantic affair and then joined his knights and helped into several victories by his side (making the situation here ironic)  
> For those who want to see infos about this knight and others : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_of_the_Round_Table#Hector_de_Maris
> 
> Also another thing I could say is that obviously I have no idea how trial works so all I can say is that those two incorrect quotes were basically Lance's mood at that time :  
> https://incorrectdeltarune-quotes.tumblr.com/post/180290250257/susie-dont-talk-to-me-or-my-son-ever  
>  https://revelryinthememes.tumblr.com/post/181534444662/all-might-at-first-i-didnt-understand-why  
> (yeah I couldn't find “blank” (person A/B) versions of those) 
> 
> Finally, because I didn't precise it in the fic and don't know how I could put it anywhere in the future : the little girl ghost was murdered by a member to “punish” her mother who left the family. And to make it worse I tend to imagine that the girl was born some years after her mother left the manor. (that was the fucked up fact of the day !)
> 
> And for those who want something stupid out of all this shit, just imagine Arthur remembering about how a ghost anchor has the color of the person who killed them and the first time he sees Lewis' ghost he's like “...uh oh...”
> 
> Random note : don't ask me why there were strangers in the middle of the night that weren't kidnappers or drunk and actually helped; let's just call it plot convenience.


End file.
